Last week, federal Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet took Belgium's new nuclear course to Vienna and Paris. Two trips, one shared goal: to defend our expertise, strengthen our cooperation and prepare the development of Belgian nuclear power for the coming decades.
In Vienna, at the 70e General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Belgium reaffirmed that it has nuclear expertise that goes far beyond electricity production.
Research, industry, nuclear medicine, radioisotope production: our country has internationally recognised expertise. The Minister took part in the inauguration of the Belgian stand alongside players from our sector and discussed possible cooperation with several international partners. He also voiced Belgium's position during the national statement and met with the IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi.
We must preserve and develop this expertise.
A few days later, in Paris, Mathieu Bihet took part in the ministerial conference of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency devoted to the development of new nuclear power.
The observation shared by many countries is simple: electricity needs will keep rising, driven by electrification, industrial growth, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. To meet this demand, we need reliable, competitive and low-carbon production capacity.
Belgium has chosen to take part in this new momentum.
After more than twenty years spent organising the nuclear phase-out, we have changed course. The extension of Doel 4 and Tihange 3, the scrapping of the phase-out timetable and the possibility of building new plants have laid the first foundations of this new policy.
The next step is now to rebuild the foundations of a long-term Belgian nuclear programme: skills, training, industry, research, investment and international cooperation.
This is also the purpose of the Aurora project, which aims to strengthen control over Belgium's strategic nuclear interests.
Nuclear power is therefore not a return to the past. It is an investment in our energy, industrial and technological future.
For the MR, this energy transition must allow us to produce more low-carbon electricity, strengthen our security of supply, support our industry and preserve our competitiveness.
Belgium has the skills to play a role in this new momentum. We must now mobilise them to prepare for the decades ahead.